1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to protective and aesthetic roofing shingles that cover the roof of a building and, specifically, to a laminated rooting shingle that is durable in high winds and heavy rains. Each shingle has a top insert area and a bottom edge trap lock recess area that receives the top insert area of a lower shingle. The shingles are installed in horizontal rows from the top of a roof peak in a downward direction.
2. Description of Related Art
In the above referred to Applicant's co-pending U.S. application Ser. No. 11/960,880, there is disclosed a top down trap lock shingle system. A single shingle used in the top down system is generally comprised of a base layer of shingle material, an intermediate layer and a top layer of material. The arrangement of the shingles with respect to each other is such that the layers are interlocking from the roof top downward in horizontal rows.
It has now been determined that the principles embodied in the shingle system in U.S. application Ser. No. 11/960,880 may be used to provide a similar top down trap lock shingle system that requires in each shingle only a top layer and a bottom layer, thereby making each panel less costly.
The roofing shingle system described herein provides for a different shingle structure and a different method of attaching the shingles to a roof structure than the prior art to greatly increase the structural integrity and durability of the shingle system even in high winds to prevent water intrusion.